Tiny Little Fractures
by The Alice of Shredd
Summary: Is there a place I can go? Is there a light to get me there? Left with a rose, she wanders...


**Tiny Little Fractures**

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Rated T.

This fanfiction is also officially stamped as 'Contest Entry.' The challenge was to write a one-shot based off any song in 3,000 words or less.

**A/N 1:** Although this is a contest entry (and perhaps, _because_ it's a contest entry), the pairing is completely different from my usual string of couples. I mean, JinxFlash is so… _canon_…

So tell me if I'm getting out-of-character. But I'm actually rather pleased with how this ended up…

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The crack of thunder woke her, the ominous sound of the oncoming rainstorm. The sky flashed when she opened her eyes, leaving her blinded and maladjusted to the dark.

"Mmh," she groaned, pushing herself upright, squinting to see where she was. She was resting on a piece of cardboard that had been propped up on a dumpster. The alleyway smelled like fish and mud.

She wrinkled her nose, but let out a gasp as something wet fell onto her cheek. Her pink eyes looked up at the grey sky and she held out a hand. It wasn't raining.

Raising her other hand, she wiping her face, wincing as something cut her skin. She yanked her hand away and realized that she still held the crumpled rose Flash had left her. But there was blood on her fingers—the thorn had scratched her.

She sniffed, and another drop fell down her cheek.

"Oh," she said aloud, wiping it away with the back of her wrist. "Tears?"

She shook her head, stretching as soon as she clambered back down to the cement. She wracked her mind, trying to remember why she was in an alleyway. She had gotten angry with Madame Rouge, and then she let Flash go…

"Oh," she said again, voice breaking. The recollection hit her hard, tearing a hole in her chest. He had left her with a rose, and nothing else. And now she had nowhere to go—there was no telling what the rest of the Hive Five would do to her. By now, word of her heroics would've gotten to them. They would say she was getting soft, falling for a good guy.

But she had, and it was stupid of her. So goddamned stupid…

With a sigh of remorseful acceptance, she rubbed the back of her neck and walked back onto the main road. It was dark outside, and not just because of the clouds.

What time was it? Midnight? Later?

Jinx shook her head. What did it matter? She was alone, broke, and relatively lost. The Hive Five didn't want her, and neither did Flash.

"Stop it," she mumbled. She needed to push him out of her thoughts—he was getting to her.

But even if he wanted her, what good would _that_ do? He wasn't trying to find her, and with her inanely bad sense of direction there wasn't any chance of her finding him.

A rumble of thunder shook the glass of the clothing store's front window to her right, and not even a second later the sky opened up, letting a torrent of rain pour onto the dry, dark earth.

"Perfect," she growled. She was already drenched and growing more soaked with every passing minute.

She looked down at the rose, gripping it tightly. She wouldn't be able to find him, and she knew it. But somewhere, in the part of her heart that defied all laws of the world, she desperately wanted to try.

Without being told, her feet started moving, walking nowhere in particular. It was all she could do—it was dark, and she was lost.

What would he do, if she found him? Make everything seem alright?

Regardless, she wouldn't know what to say to him. Words wouldn't be able to get across how much she felt. Words wouldn't express how sorry she felt about her 'job,' her past, her anger; her entire being, the only reason, and somehow every one of the million reasons, that he didn't want her.

No matter how hard she worked, how much of it she destroyed, how many pieces of evidence she turned to dust, the past would still remain. How could she look him in the eye, with the past looming over her?

"Hey, darling!"

The raucous laugh made her stiffen involuntarily. She looked up, torn from her reverie and instantly angry.

There were three of them, swaggering on the other side of the road. They were drunk and nearly incoherent, and that pissed her off even more.

"You wanna gimme a ride?"

"Naw, man, she's for me!"

"You asses, who's she lookin' at? None o' you, for sure."

Clenching one fist, she felt her eyes burning with furious tears. Her vision blurred. Is that what she was left with? No one wanted her but these three?

Undoubtedly, they'd give her a place to stay for the night. And sleeping with them wouldn't have been the worst thing she'd done, by far.

Jinx clenched her fist. "Stop it," she growled again, inaudible.

She could always just take their money—what money they had left, after spending it all on drinking.

The temptation to fight them didn't rush at her, like it should've. There was no adrenaline running in her veins.

And she could almost hear Gizmo's voice; 'You're going soft, just because some worm-brained idiot turned his charm on you?'

She tore her eyes from the three and kept walking, too angry to realize one of them had disappeared. He was behind her too quickly, grabbing her waist, yanking her back.

"C'mon, darling," he said, pressing his intoxicated lips against the back of her neck. "I pay well for anyone like you…"

She whirled on him, struggling to get away. He was strong—drunk, but strong nonetheless—and he had pinned her arms to her sides. Her eyes flashed; she heard the glass in the nearby storefront cracking.

"C'mon," he said again, breathily.

The pane of glass exploded, shards mixing with the rain as they ricocheted outward. Jinx felt the man's hold disappear, but then something hit her hard, knocking her toward the ground. She braced herself, ready the hit the cement when quick hands caught her.

The shards chinked against the ground, and the man's hoarse wail made her jump. But it didn't come from the one holding her.

"Goddamned piece of ass," the man moaned, and Jinx felt herself being pulled to her feet.

She opened eyes she hadn't realized she'd closed and felt her breath catch.

"Oh—" she breathed, staggering, all sense of balance lost. She nearly dropped the rose.

Kid Flash was standing there, uniform gone, even more drenched than she was. The moment of elation passed, and she realized that he was glaring at her in livid disbelief.

"What?" she wondered, voice cracking.

"Look at _him_," he said, nodding his head toward the man who was stumbling blindly in the road.

She obeyed, and winced. Shards were sticking at odd angles from one side of his body and lying, bloodied, around him. Rivers of crimson ran down his shirt, dripping from every part of his body.

"Did you want to end up like that? Why didn't you move?" He shook her slightly, eyes narrowed and trying to understand. "Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?"

She shook her head, silent. Her breath wouldn't come evenly with him so close.

"Come with me," he ordered, taking her wrist, dragging her away from the bleeding man. She could still hear him moaning, and his companions were bawling in panic.

She followed willingly, vision blurring. The hole in her chest was ripping wider, leaving her frail and pathetic. He _had_ found her… and now he was mad. He was going to leave her as soon as he yelled at her.

Her body tensed, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably as noiseless tears ran down her face. She started to shiver, biting her lip to keep from sobbing.

He didn't want her. She should've known.

A violent shudder ran through her veins, and from his grip on her wrist, he felt it. Glancing back at her, his eyes softened, and he came to a stop under the awning of a bakery.

"Jinx," he said, letting go of her.

"I know, I'm stupid. I _know_," she hissed through gritted teeth. "You can leave me now; you won't see me again, I promise…!"

His expression became gentle. "I wasn't going to say—"

"Really! Go back to your perfect…" She struggled to continue, holding back a shuddering sob. Her mouth twisted, lips tightening. "Go! You don't want to be here, so…"

She shook her head, hiding her face behind her hands. It hurt so much…

"Jinx, I _do_ want to be here. Actually," he said in a pleasant tone, "I was specifically looking for you."

Her heart jumped into her throat. She lowered her hands, wringing them at her stomach. "What?" she mumbled through the tears.

"I went to your team's little hideout, to make sure you were okay—to make sure Rouge didn't get to you. But you weren't there… I knew you were probably wandering around the city when the little techno-runt started calling you a traitor."

She sniffed, shivering.

"But you still shouldn't stand in front of breaking glass," he added, smiling slightly.

Jinx looked down, unable to look at him anymore. Lightning flashed around them, but it didn't register in her thoughts—she only stared at the rose, trying to control her tears.

"Jinx…? Are you alright?"

She shook her head, throwing the rose to the ground. She twisted one heel into its stem and stepped out into the rain, shaking again. "No," she threw over her shoulder, voice tight, pained.

"Wait—"

"You're lying!" she yelled, storming away from him. Every step drained her.

He was in front of her in an instant, grabbing her shoulders. "Why would I lie?"

She jerked away, but he stayed with her.

"Jinx, why would I lie?"

"Maybe you wouldn't!" she cried, balling her hands into fists. "But I would! This is wrong! I'm supposed to be alone, or dead, or—"

"Why is it so wrong?" he pressed.

She stopped moving, wrapping her arms around herself, trembling. "You're good. I'm not."

"So?"

"I'm forcing you to want to stay with me!"

"That isn't tr—"

"Why should _you_ care?" she asked, shaking her head. "You're the epitome of perfection."

"I care because I want to!" He laughed harshly. "And I'm the furthest thing from perfection!"

"You're wrong."

"And you're crazy. What a pair we make!"

"Why did you give me the rose?" she demanded.

His eyes cleared, anger fading slightly. "Because roses symbolize love."

She shook her head. "You don't love me."

"Don't I?"

"No."

He reached for her, but she stumbled backward. "I'm standing here, aren't I? I found you, didn't I?"

Her mouth stayed open, retort caught on her tongue. She closed it after a moment, shaking her head, looking away. "So," she said slowly. "I'm just a lost puppy that you happened to come across?"

"Why can't you just believe me?"

She swallowed hard, unable to look him in the eye. "Because," she mumbled. "You could never care as much for me as I do for you. I'm a terrible person, Flash."

"Not as terrible as you might like to think," he said, but then frowned. "Why are so against my being with you?"

Her expression froze, and then became regretful. "This is wrong," she repeated.

"Not if we want it."

She swallowed again and finally looked up at him. His eyes were burning a hole in her, revealing everything that made her weak.

"Please, Jinx."

It was a mistake, to look at him. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore—her lip trembled, and then she dropped her head, letting everything go. A flood ran down her face, mixing with the rain. She gasped in air, trying to breathe, trying to control _something_. But it was hopeless; she closed her eyes, flushing red with shame.

She jumped when Flash moved closer, holding her in a warm embrace. She felt fragile, as if she'd be crushed if held too tight. But her body went limp, resting on him, her head dipped into his collarbone.

"At least come to my apartment, if only for tonight."

The words made her look at him.

"I can't let you wander around in the rain. Please—just so I know you're safe, at least for one night," he begged.

She wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm, lips pursed. She trembled under his stare. "I may never leave," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"That'd be even better." He smiled. "You'll come?"

She took a breath, and sighed. "I can't."

His golden eyes faltered. "Why?"

"It feels wrong."

She saw the pain cross his face. "Just one night," he pleaded.

"I can't."

"Where will you go?"

"Somewhere else. A hotel."

"It's too late—and wet, and dark. _Please_."

"I can't!"

He stared at her for a long moment before dropped his head. "If you want to leave me, I can't stop you," he murmured. Taking something from his pocket, he took her hand and dropped the tiny bundle in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it. "But promise you'll come back."

She stared down at the paper in her hand, turning it over, finding an address on one side and a key wrapped within it. Puzzled, she looked back at him—but he was gone.

Half an hour later, Jinx threw open a dull, beige door, and met a pair of golden eyes.

"Is there a t-shirt I can wear?" she asked, crying, breathless. "I'm soaking, just look at me…"

At the end of the hall, eyes rimmed red, astonishment clearly written on his face, Flash's mouth turned into an enormous grin.

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**A/N 2:** In case you didn't realize, the song I chose to base the one-shot off was _Tiny Little Fractures_ by Snow Patrol. The challenge wasn't to make a story follow the vague outline of a song, or the theme, or something like that. Oh, no—it was supposed to follow it exactly, 'as if the characters were the ones in the song.' If you go look up the lyrics, they should be pretty exact with the plot and quotes… though maybe not in the right order, I'll admit…

**A/N 3:** And _no_, the ending was _not_ a stab at Jude Law… (laughs)


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